Electric train wire coupler



Feb. 2 1926.

c. c. FARMER ELECTRIC TRAIN WIRE COUPLER Filed Ju e 2'7, 1921 F .l.

IIIIW-IIIIII .HIIIIIIL a =J- mi I 1 INVENTOR CLYDE o. F'ARMER 6 BY Ill/I45. nnn; V a? ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 2, 1926.

UNETED STATES @FFIQE.

CLYDE C. FARMER, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE WESTING- HOUSE AIB. BRAKE COMPANY, OF WILMERDING, EENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 015 IE'ENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC TRAIN WIRE COUPLER.

Application filed. June 27, 1921.

To all whom it may concern.

lie it known that I, CLYDE C. FARMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsl'iurgh. in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented. new and useful Improvements in Electric Train lVire Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric couplers, and more particularly to a coupler for automatically connecting the electric train line circuits between cars of a train.

In certain types of car and air couplers, such as that disclosed in Patent No. 708,747 of George lVestinghouse, dated September 9, 1902, there isa certain amount of relative lateral movement of the coupler heads in the act of coupling. It has been proposed to apply to a car coupler of the above type, an electric train line coupler for automatically connecting the electric train line circuits between cars, but it is then necessary to provide means for preventing engagement of the electric contacts of the electric coupler heads until the car couplers are in the fully coupled position, since the lateral movement of the car couplers in the act of coupling would interfere with the proper engagement of the electric contacts, which provide only for engagement by longitudinal movement.

The above diihculty has been overcome in various ways but in some cases, after the electric coupler has been installed, it has been found that additional circuits were required to be connected when cars were coupled together.

One object of my invention is to provide an auxiliary electric train line coupler device which may be applied to the main electric coupler for connecting up additional circuits in which lateral movement of the auxiliary coupler is provided for.

Another object of the invention is to provide an electric train line coupler having improved means for overcoming the effect of lateral movement.

In the accompanying drawing; Fig. 1 is a section on the line 11 of Fig. 3 of an auxiliary electric train line coupler applied to a main electric train line coupler in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 a face view of the construction, partly in section; and Fig. 3 a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Serial No. 480,706.

In the drawing, the numeral 1 indicates a main electric train line coupler for automatically connecting the electric circuits be tween the cars of a train and to the under side of the coupler 1 is secured an auxiliary electric train line coupler 2 comprising a casing having a plate 3 of insulating material forming the front face, on which are mounted at opposite sides of the center line a plurality of electric contact devices in staggered relation.

Each contact device may comprise a standard 4t secures to the plate 3 and on which is pivotally mounted a contact arm 5 provided with a laterally extending lug 6. A bolt 7 extends through a hole in the lug 6 and an alining hole in the plate 3 and a coil spring 8 is mounted on the bolt between the inner face of the plate 3 and the adjusting nuts 9, so that the spring acts through the bolt to yieldingly maintain the contact arm 5 in an outward position.

The contact face of the arm 5 is curved as shown so as to assist in guiding the engagement therewith of a corresponding contact arm of a counterpart coupler.

In operation, whenthe car couplers are coupled with a longitudinal and lateral movement, the contact arms 5 of the counterpart auxiliary electric coupler engage the corresponding arms of the other electric coupler, each arm being depressed against the resistance of spring 8 by the longitudinal movement as the couplers approach the coupled position and moving laterally by a slid- "ng engagement of the corresponding curved contact faces.

In Fig. 3, a contact arm at one side of the center line-of the coupler isshown in the position assumed when in the coupled position and in engagement with the arm 5 of the counterpart coupler, an arm 5 on the other side of the center line, being shown in its normal position when not engaged by a contact arm of a counterpart coupler.

In addition to providing for lateral movement of the parts, the sliding and wiping of the contact arms on each other as the couplers are coupled up, serves to maintain the contact faces clean and bright.

By arranging the contact arms so as to engage at the center line of the coupler, the proper train line circuits are always connected together regardless of which end of the car is coupled and without the necessity for cross connecting the circuits which is required when the contacts engage on a line other than the center line of the coupler.

lVhile the drawing shows an auxiliary electric train line coupler embodying my improvement as applied to a main electric train line coupler, it will be evident that a main train line coupler may be so constructed, if desired. In other words, an electric train line coupler may be constructed in accordance with my invention for direct attachmcnt to a car coupler of the type having a lateral and longitudinal movement in the act of coupling.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an automatic electric train line coupler for connecting train line circuits between cars of a train, a contact member having a fixed relation to the coupler with respect to relative lateral movement and having a laterally extended contact face for engagement with a corresponding contact face of a contact member of a counter part coupler to permit relative lateral sliding movement of corresponding contact members and thereby provide for relative lateral movement of the couplers.

2. In an automatic electric train line coupler for connecting train line circuits between cars of a train, a contact member having a fixed relation to the coupler with respect to relative lateral movement and having a laterally extended contact face for engagement with a corresponding contact face of a contact member of a counterpart coupler to permit relative lateral sliding movement of corresponding contact members and thereby provide for relative lateral movement of the couplers and adagted to engage at the center line of the conplers in the coupled position.

3. In an automatic electric train line coupler for connecting train line circuits between cars of a train, a contact arm mounted on the coupler at one side of the center line and having a fixed relation to the coupler with respect to relative lateral movement and hav ing a contact face extending laterally beyond the center line for engagement with a corre sponding face of a contact arm of a counterpart coupler to permit relative lateral sliding movement of corresponding contact members and thereby provide for relative lateral movement of the couplers and adapted to engage at the center line of the couplers in the coupled position.

t. An automatic electric train line coupler for connecting train line circuits between the cars of a train comprising contact arms mounted on the coupler at opposite sides of the central vertical plane of the coupler each arm having a contact face extending laterally over and beyond the central plane of the coupler to engage a corresponding contact face of a cormterpart coupler.

5. An automatic electric train line coupler for connecting train line circuits between cars of a train, comprising a plurality of contact arms pivotally mounted on the coupler on opposite sides of the central vertical plane thereof, each arm having a contact face attending laterally beyond the central plane of the coupler to engage a corresponding contact face of a corresponding coupler. and means for yieldingly resisting pivotal movement of said arms.

6. An automatic electric train line coupler for connecting train line circuits between cars of a train comprising a plurality of contact arms mounted on the couple at opposite sides of the central vertical plane of the coupler, the arms at One side being staggered with relation to the arms at the other side and each arm having a laterally extended contact face adapted to engage a corresponding contact face of a counterpart coupler.

7. An automatic electric train line coupler for connecting train line circuits between cars of a train comprising a plurality of contact arms pivotally mounted on the coupler at opposite sides of the central vertical plane of the coupler, the arms at one side being staggered relatively to the arms at the other side, and each arm having a laterally extending contact face adapted to engage a corresponding contact face of acounterpart coupler, and means for yieldingly resisting pivotal movement of said arms.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CLYDE C. FARMER. 

